SR Times – “Drug Could Possibly Both Reduce Acute Damage of the Stroke” – How DMT Could be the Future of Stroke Treatment
“Drug Could Possibly Both Reduce Acute Damage of the Stroke” – How DMT Could be the Future of Stroke Treatment
Dr Rick Strassman, one of the most well-known researchers and authors on DMT, shares with SR Times his expert knowledge on using DMT as a treatment for stroke.
DMT (N.N-Dimethyltryptamine) is a hallucinogenic tryptamine drug which naturally occurs in plant species such as Psychotria viridis or Chacruna. It can also be made in a laboratory.
How did the concept of using DMT as a stroke treatment develop?
Several papers emerged from Hungary, published by Ede Frecksa and colleagues in the early 2010s, led to this concept. Initially, DMT was found to prevent neural death due to ischaemia in the test tube. Later, it was found that administering DMT in the living animal reduced experimental stroke size and sped functional recovery.
Several mechanisms may be a play including reduced neuro-inflammation as well as increased neurogenesis (growth of new neurons from stem cells) and neuroplasticity (increasing connections among neurons). Interestingly, these effects may not require behaviorally active—in other words, psychedelic—doses of the drug.
What properties of DMT help with the treatment of stroke?
The anti-neuro-inflammatory properties of DMT, and stimulatory effects on neurogenesis and neuroplasticity are important. These effects may occur through stimulation of receptors different than those responsible for behavioural effects; for example, sigma receptors rather than serotonin receptors, and stimulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor.
A paper I co-authored in 2019 showed that DMT levels rise in the dying rodent brain, which may indicate that naturally occurring DMT is called into action when the brain is suffering the effects of loss of oxygen, as occurs in a stroke.
My initial studies at the University of New Mexico with DMT in the early 1990s worked out various dosing regimens which have proven helpful in designing the Algernon study; in particular, determining sub-psychedelic but biologically active doses of the drug…
About Algernon NeuroScience
Algernon NeuroScience is a private equity subsidiary of Algernon Pharmaceuticals and has been created to advance the Company’s DMT stroke research program. AGN Neuro has filed a Form 1-A offering statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, seeking qualification to raise up to USD $10M for AGN Neuro by offering up to 37.5% of its common shares, (including the maximum amount of bonus shares) with majority ownership residing with AGN Pharma, under a Tier II Regulation A+ offering.
